By: Ryan Provencher, Firefighter Peak Performance
Firefighting presents numerous challenges that can hinder achieving fitness and performance goals. The stress of the job, sleep deprivation from shift work, and home responsibilities often stack the deck against us. Fortunately, tools and technologies are available to keep us on track, helping us optimize our performance while maintaining an excellent quality of life on and off the job.
Here are 8 Essentials for Firefighter Fitness:
1. Wearable Tech: Apple Watch + Oura Ring
Public Safety expert Gordon Graham says, “if it is measurable, it is manageable.” This is why I have paired the Apple Watch and Oura Ring together in a single category. This combination provides an amazing amount of data and insight to help you optimize your fitness and health.
The Apple Watch Series 9 ($399) offers real-time tracking of physical activities, providing instant feedback on heart rate, calories burned, and exercise routines. Complementing this, smart ring fitness trackers help focus on sleep quality, recovery, and overall readiness, giving insights into when the body is primed for high-intensity workouts or needs rest. Both the Oura Ring ($299) or RingConn Smart Ring ($314) are good options in this category.
Apple Health integrates data from both devices, consolidating activity metrics, sleep patterns, and health insights into one platform. This holistic approach allows you to monitor your physical exertion, recovery, and overall health cohesively, helping you make informed decisions about your fitness routines and ensuring a balanced approach to peak performance.
WHOOP ($319/Year Membership) is another excellent wearable tech option.
2. Apparel: Ten Thousand + Under Armour
The Ten Thousand Interval Short ($68) is designed with durability and versatility in mind, featuring moisture-wicking fabric and a tailored fit that ensures maximum mobility and comfort during dynamic exercises. The Under Armor Heat Gear Compression Shirt ($30.00) offers a snug, supportive fit that enhances muscle performance and reduces fatigue. Its advanced fabric technology keeps the body cool and dry by effectively managing sweat and regulating body temperature. Together, these high-quality apparel pieces provide the ideal combination of comfort, breathability, and support, enabling firefighters to perform at their best during intense workouts.
3. Gym Space: Zebra Mat
Zebra Mats ($145) provide an instant upgrade to your home or fire station gym by providing a safe, durable, and versatile workout surface. These high-quality mats offer excellent cushioning and support, reducing the risk of injury during high-impact exercises and offering comfort for floor-based activities. Their non-slip surface ensures stability, allowing for a wide range of workouts, from strength training to yoga, without worrying about slipping. Easy to clean and maintain, Zebra Mats create a professional gym-like environment, making any space conducive to effective and safe training. Their robust construction can withstand intense, repetitive use, making them ideal for the rigorous demands of firefighter fitness routines. Gorilla mats are a great choice too if you can’t get your hands on Zebra Mats!
4. Fitness Equipment: Steel Club
The Steel Club ($57) is a unique and versatile tool that helps build strength, endurance, and mobility through all planes of motion. It’s particularly useful for firefighters because it mimics the dynamic and often unpredictable movements required in the field. Incorporating Steel Club exercises into your routine can improve grip strength, shoulder stability, and overall functional fitness. Take your Steel Club when you travel to ensure you get your workouts in anywhere, anytime!
5. Fitness Equipment: Bullit Sandbag
The Bullit Sandbag ($120) is another excellent option for building functional strength and endurance. The shifting weight of a sandbag simulates real-life scenarios that firefighters face, such as carrying heavy equipment or moving awkward objects. Sandbag exercises engage multiple muscle groups and movement patterns, enhancing firefighter fitness with one simple tool. Try out the Hyperwear if you can’t get your hands on a Bullit Sandbag!
6. Fitness Equipment: Rogue TB-2 Trap Bar
The Rogue TB-2 Trap Bar ($395) offers a highly effective means of developing strength and power for firefighting. Its raised handle and hexagonal shape promote a natural, ergonomic lifting posture, minimizing strain on the lower back. This design is optimal for exercises like deadlifts and farmer’s walks, which help develop the functional strength necessary to handle firefighting tasks such as lifting heavy equipment and moving patients. Try out this Synergee trap bar if you can’t get your hands on the Rogue TB-2!
7. Fitness Equipment: TRX Suspension Trainer
The TRX Pro4 Suspension Trainer ($218) effectively builds core strength, flexibility, and balance. The suspension trainer uses bodyweight exercises to develop functional strength with less load and impact on joints. The portability of the TRX system also makes it easy to set up and use anywhere, whether at the station, home, or on the go.
8. Mental Health: Mind Journal Balance Planner
The Mind Journal Balance Planner ($48) is a powerful tool for firefighters to manage stress and support mental health by promoting daily organization, reflection, and mindfulness. This planner helps you to set clear, achievable goals, prioritize tasks, and allocate time for rest and self-care. I have been using this for goal setting, planning, and journaling for over a year now, and I don’t know what to do without it! If you can’t get your hands on the journal I use, try the one pictured below.
Achieving your firefighter fitness and performance goals requires the right tools, consistent effort, and a balanced regimen of training, recovery, and healthy lifestyle choices. By incorporating these eight essentials into your routine, you can develop a more intentional approach to exercise and make mindful decisions about nutrition, sleep, mental and emotional health, and stress management. These essentials will give you the edge needed to perform at a high level while maintaining an excellent quality of life both on and off the job.
